The invention relates to a beverage can with a protective cover, a blank for a protective cover, as well as a method and device for application of a protective cover to beverage cans.
To prevent the accumulation of dust, liquids, or similar contamination on the surface and in the recesses of the can lid of filled and closed beverage cans, and to thereby provide for hygienic draining of the cans after opening, the use of a wide variety of designs of protective caps made of plastic or similar materials than can be snapped onto cans has already been proposed.
The disadvantages of these solutions are the considerable additional costs, the disturbance of the appearance of beverage cans to which the user is accustomed, the diminished stacking capacity and resulting pallet stacking capacity, and the limited options for precisely matching these protective caps to the remaining appearance of the can in terms of both coloring and printed image.
The object of the invention is to provide a particularly cost-effective protective cover for beverage cans, a blank for it, as well as method and device for application of this protective cover to beverage cans.
This object is solved with thin metal foil, especially tin foil or aluminum foil, which is applied to the top of a closed beverage can and completely covers its lid surface. Preferably, the dimensions of the tin foil should he designed in such a way as to ensure that the tin foil also wraps around the flange between the can lid and the can body. In the case of beverage cans with a radially inward-shaped shoulder surface, this surface can advantageously be covered by the tin foil, as well. The tin foil can advantageously be shaped to conform directly to the lid or shoulder contour by being pressed against it with sponges, brushes, or similar objects. To improve the hold of the tin foil, the tin foil can, according to a modification of the invention, be at least partially secured to the can, e.g., along the raised flange and/or at the center of the lid, with an adhesive that is safe for use with food. It is also conceivable to apply adhesive bonds in the edge zones only of a tin foil blank, such as at the corners of a square blank.
As an adhesive, a liquid glue can be used that is applied to either the back side of the blank and/or to the can immediately before the blank is applied to the can. To apply the adhesive, glue-compatible contact surfaces can be used whose surface is provided with raised or recessed structures to correspond to the desired glue pattern. Such contact surfaces are used to remove individual blanks for a supply container.
An alternative embodiment comprises blanks with a adhesive coating that can be activated (in its entirely or in parts). Depending on the adhesive coating used, activation can occur by heating or moistening the blanks and/or the cans.
is also advantageous to manufacture the foil used for dust protection and the can from the same material, e.g., aluminum, which simplifies recycling. Another advantage of this approach consists in the fact that the foil can be pulled away easily from the top of the can and, once the can has been emptied, can be compressed and thrown into the interior of the can. This ensures environmentally compatible disposal of the protective cover.